I'm on my way from misery to happiness today...

Wow.

Simply wow.

This post is a bit different as it is about the Scotland vs Liechtenstein match at Hampden.
Quite simply that is the most bonkers match I have ever been at.

Has the agony and ectasy of supporting Scotland ever been more accutely demonstrated?


Anyway here is the story...


Decided to take my son to the game. It was his first ever match and thought he would enjoy the experience. We were playing Liechtenstein. A country with a population less than the capacity of Hampden. The "minnows" of the group. So set off with my Jimmy wig, Scotland scard and flag hoping for a few goals.



Love the walk down to the game. Down Battlefield Road. The tartan army in full colour.

The pipers playing. The gathering of the clans.
Can't help but feel patriotic.

This is Scotland!!!

Inside Hampden and the boys are out warming up. Here is Miller, Boyd and Weir going through their paces. Weir is a particular hero for me as he gives me hope that there is still an outside chance I can get a call up for Scotland. After this match my chances may have improved ... but we will get to that bit...

Fire drill??

Before the team had actually left the field the spinklers came on. Now it had been lashing earlier in the day so doubt the grass was that thirsty. And interesting to hear Roughy on the radio tonight mentioning this as well. Later in the match when a few Scotland players landed on their arses and every ball knocked forward skidded off the surface I pondered whether all this water was a good idea. But makes a good photo!! :-)

Then it was time to announce the teams. Every Scotland player got the usual huge Hampden cheer. If you know me then you will know why this one get an extra wee cheer from me :-)

The lineup sounded fine. Faddie was back, Boyd was up front, Hutton would be flying down the wing. This was going to be good.

The fireworks blasted off and as the smoke cleared the crowd was in full voice. Flags unfurled. Cmon Scotland!!!

Time for the national anthems and then a bit of a surprise for the assembled Tartan Army.
The anthem for Liechenstein is "God save the Queen"?
No but it does have the same tune. And this produced a few boos from the crowd.

Very wrong thing to do and hope the people of Liechtenstein were not offended. Wee bit of cross cultural confusion there.

Then up stepped our very own Amy Macdonald to lead the crowd in "Flower of Scotland".

I'm a big fan of Amy's music. And she did the team proud getting the crowd going.
As it was to turn out it may have been better if she had been given a place in the starting 11 and one of the team had done the singing... but as I said we will get to that bit...

Then a very emotional moment when there was a minute of applause to mark the anniversary of the death of Jock Stein. I remember vividly that night in Cardiff when he died. Was such a shock.

A true Scottish legend. And the volume of noise from the Hampden crowd showed that he is very much not forgotten.

And then the game kicked off. Now I'm not going to give a kick by kick account. I'll leave that to Graham Speirs. And not going to criticise the players here. I am a big fan of all of the Scotland players. And I know that they are proud to play for their country. But this was not a good day at the office...

As the minutes ticked away and very few passes hit there mark. As players collided or fell on their arses the crowd got restless. A few boos rang out here and there.

And this was played out until half time when still at 0-0 the team walked off, none too happy, with the sound of a booing Hampden crowd.

But what is this...? a Scotland striker through 1 on 1 with the keeper. No... this was part of the half time entertainment. Score against the keeper in 10 seconds and win a trip to see Scotland play in Liechtenstein. After the first half performance a guy near me enquired what was the 2nd prize?

As it turned out only 1 of the contestants scored and he gambled to take the kick again. Winner takes all. If he scored all the contestants got to go. He missed. Looked like it was going to be one of those nights.

And then the teams reappeared. The crowd that had booed the team off got right behind them with a deafening roar as the game began.

The all of a sudden a ball down the left, a cross not blocked, a Liechtenstein striker in the box. Why is no one stopping him?

Almost in slow motion the ball leaves his foot and curves around the diving Alan McGregor. The net bulges. NOOOOOOOOOO!!! The crowd groans. Head in hands.

This was bad.

Yet when Scotland kicked off again the crowd roared again. Cmon Scotland!!

But the minutes ticked by. The crowd became subdued. You could hear indivdual shouts.

Every Liechtenstein attack viewed with dread. Surely not 2-0?

Then Scotland began to press more. Fletcher got a cracking shot on target that the keeper parried away. The crowd felt hope. The volume started to crank up again. Cmon Scotland!!

And then it happened. A break down the wing. Robson put in the cross. It came back out. Kenny Miller came to meet it. A blur. The ball bouncing down into the net.

And all hell broke lose in the stadium!!!

What a goal!!

We were right back in it!!

SCOTLAND!! SCOTLAND!! SCOTLAND!!!

But the time drew on. Scotland pressing more and more. Liechtenstein tackles getting more cynical and the time wasting more ridiculous. Which is a shame as they had played well. Had played some of the best passing moves of the game and their goal was a cracker.

The referees decisions became more and more frustrating for the fans.

A chorus indicating the overall opinion of the ref echoing around the stadium. I covered my sons ears!! :-)

Craig Levein, the Scotland manager, was out in the technical area instructing the team. Time was running out. It still said 1-1 on the board.

90 minutes was over. Injury time. Minimum of 5 minutes said the board. But there had been loads partly with Wallace having his bad injury. We still had time.

A few fans started to drift away but the vast majority stayed.

A corner kick won.

Last chance...

Cmon Scotland!!

The ball sweeps in. A scrum of players. The net bulges!!

HAMPDEN ERUPTS!!!!

WE'VE DONE IT!!!

The players run into the crowd.
Every is screaming and cheering and bouncing.

McManus has scored with a brilliant header!!

The players get herded back to kick off the game again. One kick and the whistle blows. Game over. No one had sat down, we were all still dancing. I don't even have a photo of the final score on the board as was too busy jumping up and down!!

As players and managers left the field, Craig Levein must at this moment have felt the most relieved man in Scotland!!

We expected to leave Hampden on a low. Our qualification chances in tatters. Yet we had won!!
Maybe this is why it is the beautiful game?

On the radio in the car as we made our way out of the traffic jam that is the south side after a game, Ewen and Roughy were telling us that Lithuania had won in the Czech Republic!!

We were top of the group!!

The Proclaimers started singing "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today..."

Never has a more appropriate song been chosen.

Like I said at the start... Bonkers!!!

I do wish Craig and the boys all the best for the campaign ahead. Bad day at the office. We all have them. This one ended well though. Now go on and do us proud!!

Scotland is right behind you!!

Though it did produce a night in Glasgow that will be remembered for a very long time!!

Be well, be happy!!

P.S. Anyone have a spare ticket for the Scotland vs Spain game? :-)